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MEMORIAL 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  SENATE 


UPON  THE  DEATH  OF 


HON.  ALGERNON  B.  ROBERTS, 


LATE  A  SENATOR  FROM  THE  TWELFTH  DISTRICT 


OP 


PEN  NSYLV AN  1 A 


HARRISBURG,   PA.: 

HARRISBURO  PUBLISHING   CO.,   STATE    PRINTER. 

1909. 


4'r 


i KCHAN6E 


11 


(2) 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


RESOLUTION 


In  the  Senate, 
March  23.   1909. 

Resolved,  (if  the  House  of  Representatives  concur),  That  one  thou- 
sand (1,000)  copies  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Memorial  services,  held  in 
honor  of  the  late  Honorable  Algernon  B.  Roberts,  be  printed  for  the  use 
of  the  Senate. 

HARMON    M.    KEPHART. 

Chief  Clerk  of  the  Senate. 
The  foregoing  resolution  concurred  in  March  23,   1909. 

THOMAS  H.  GARVIN, 
Chief  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Approved— The  24th  day  of  March,   A.  D.  1909. 

EDWIN  S.  STUART. 


(3) 


206482 


(4) 


PROCEEDINGS  OF   THE  SENATE 


UPON  THE  DEATH  OF 


HON.   ALGERNON   B.  ROBERTS 


In  the  Senate, 
Monday,    March  15,    1909. 

On  motion  of  Senator  Mcllhenny,  the  following-  resolution  was  twice 
read,    considered  and  agreed  to,   viz: 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  eight  members  of  the  Senate  be  ap- 
pointed to  draft  suitable  resolutions  on  the  death  of  the  late  Senator, 
Algernon  B.  Roberts,  who  died  on  January  six,  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  nine,  and  present  such  resolutions  at  a  special  meeting  to 
be  held  on  Tuesday,  March  sixteen,  one  thous^and  nine  hundred  and 
nine,  at  four  o'clock  post  meridian. 


(5) 


ill 


(6) 


MEMORIAL  RESOLUTIONS  AND  ADDRESSES. 


In  the  Senate, 
Tuesday,  March  i6,  1909. 

Afternoon  Session. 

Pursuant  to  adjournment,  the  Senate  was  called  to  order  at 
four  o'clock  post  meridian,  Mr.  Sproul  in  the  chair. 

PRAYER. 

Prayer  was  ofifered  by  Reverend  J.  Wesley  Sullivan, 
Chaplain  of  the  Senate,  as  follows : 

O,  Lord,  we  come  to  praise  Thee  at  this  time  for  the  great 
value  of  life  and  for  the  life  that  Thou  dost  give  unto  each 
one  of  us,  for  Thou  art  the  creator  and  giver  of  all  Hfe;  and 
yet  we  realize  that  it  is  not  all  of  life  to  live  and  yet  of  death 
to  die,  but  beyond  is  the  judgment  and  we  must  come  unto 
Thy  presence,  we  must  render  an  account  to  Thee  of  our 
stewardship ;  the  time  when  friends  cannot  follow  us  or  sup- 
port us,  but  when  we  must  stand  alone  in  Thy  presence  as 
the  work  and  the  creation  of  Thy  hand.  Thou  dost  admon- 
ish each-  one  of  us  that  we  should  set  our  house  in  order,  that 
sooner  or  later  we  shall  die  and  not  live.  We  may  at  times 
realize  our  strength  and  we  forget  that  we  must  die,  but 
when  we  look  upon  the  right, hand  and  upon  the  left,  we  see 
loved  ones,  friends  and  companions  leaving  us  and  going 
down  into  the  dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  and  we  are 
reminded  that  sooner  or  later  this  shall  be  our  journey.  Our 
desire  is  to-day  that  when  this  message  shall  come  to  us  our 

(7) 


MEMORIAIv  SERVICES. 


house  be  in  order  and  we  shall  be  ready  to  meet  Thee  and  to 
have  Thy  benediction  and  blessing  to  rest  upon  us  through- 
out the  ages  of  eternity. 

We  thank  Thee  for  the  memory  of  the  dead,  that  as  we 
journey  with  those  we  love,  that  when  they  come  to  leave  us, 
we  can  see  the  lessons  that  their  lives  teach  us,  the  right  way. 
We  thank  Thee  for  this  special  life  this  afternoon  that  we 
come  to  recognize  and  remember.  Help  us  to  see  in  it  all 
the  good  that  it  may  be  an  inspiration  to  our  lives,  a  com- 
fort to  us  in  the  hour  of  bereavement,  especially  this  after- 
noon to  those  who  are  near  and  dear  to  this  grand  and  noble 
life  that  has  vanished  from  this  sphere  and  has  gone  into  the 
great  eternity.  Remember  this  afternoon  those  who  bow 
beneath  this  great  shadow,  this  bereaved  woman  who  stands 
alone  to-day  as  no  other  in  the  wide  world  with  her  sorrow. 
Remember  this  widow  and  pour  into  this  heart  of  mourning 
this  afternoon  Thy  oil  of  gladness  and  Thy  comfort.  Re- 
member the  beloved  children ;  may  the  inheritance  of  such  a 
beloved  life  as  this  noble  father  be  an  inspiration  and  com- 
fort to  them.  Be  with  these  and  all  who  bow  down  in 
mourning.  Pardon  all  that  Thou  dost  see  amiss  within  us. 
We  ask  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior  and  our 
Redeemer.     Amen. 

Mr.  McILHENNY.  Mr.  President,  I  offer  the  follow- 
ing resolutions: 


RESOLUTIONS. 

Whereas,  Our  fellow-Senator,  Algernon  Brooke  Roberts, 
a  member  of  the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania,  for  the  Twelfth  Dis- 
trict, has,  during  the  present  session  of  the  Senate,  passed  in- 
to eternal  rest;  and 

Whereas,  His  public  character  and  services  demand  prom- 
inent commemoration ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania  records  its 
sense  of  his  integrity,  prudence,  fidelity,  high  ideals,  ability 


HON.  ALGERNON  B.  ROBERTS. 


and  lofty  character,  and  the  great  loss  he  is  to  this  distin- 
guished body;  and 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Senate  surviving 
desire  to  express  our  sympathy  to  his  family  and  direct  that  a 
copy  of  these  resolutions,  properly  attested,  be  communi- 
cated, with  our  respect,  to  his  widow. 

FRANCIS  S.  McILHENNY, 
JOHN  E.  FOX, 
DANIEL  P.  GERBERICH, 
WEBSTER  GRIM, 
THOMAS  B.  HARPER, 
JOHN  W.  CRAWFORD, 
A.  E.  SISSON, 
ERNEST  L.  TUSTIN. 

Committee. 


10  MEMORIAIv  SERVICES. 

ADDRESSES. 

Mr.  McILHENNY.  Mr.  President,  The  death  of  Sen- 
ator Roberts  has  been  a  great  loss  to  me,  and  these  services 
in  his  memory  are  but  a  sad  substitute  for  his  companionship 
and  friendship. 

He  and  I  knew  each  other  many  years.  We  studied  law 
side  by  side  in  the  same  office,  and  when  I  joined  him  here 
we  sat  in  adjoining  seats  in  the  Senate  and  lived  together 
during  its  sessions. 

It  was  my  happiness  to  enjoy  his  personal  and  political 
confidence,  and  I  perhaps  am  able  to  speak  more  intimately 
than  any  other  Senator  of  the  pure  and  patriotic  character 
that  animated  all  his  work. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place,  before  I  speak  of  his  moral 
qualities,  to  briefly  review  a  few  facts  of  his  life: 

Algernon  Brooke  Roberts  was  born  on  August  twelfth, 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-five,  at  Pencoyd 
Farm,  Montgomery  County,  Pennsylvania.  His  preliminary 
education  was  received  at  the  Episcopal  Academy,  of  Phila- 
delphia, from  whence  he  entered  Princeton  University,  grad- 
uating in  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-six.  He 
then  became  a  student  of  law  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, upon  his  graduation  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-nine,  and  for  five  years 
prior  to  his  death  was  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Duane, 
Morris,  Heckscher  and  Roberts,  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

Upon  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  entered  actively  in  Re- 
publican politics  in  Montgomery  County.  In  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  he  was  elected  a  commissioner  of  Lower  Mer- 
ion  township,  and,  in  -the  same  year.  Presidential  elector-at- 
large.  In  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  one  he  was  ap- 
pointed Assistant  United  States  Attorney  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  following  year  was  -elect- 
ed president  of  Lower  Merion  township.-  In  the  same  year 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate,  and  was  re-elected  in  Novem- 
ber, one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  six.  He  died  in  South- 
ern California  on  January  sixth,  one  thousand  nine  hundred 


HON.   AI.G1:RN0N  B.  R0B1:RTS.  11 

and  nine.  As  president  of  the  board  of  commissioners  he 
proved  himself  to  be  an  efficient  administrator,  and  under 
him  that  wealthy  township  enjoyed  nearly  a  model  govern- 
ment. It  became  the  best  paved  township  in  the  State  and 
obtained  an  almost  perfect  sewerage  system.  This  system 
was  constructed  at  less  than  the  estimated  cost  and  by  his 
efficient  management  has  been  able  to  greatly  reduce  the 
cost  of  operation.  Capable  and  honest,  his  conduct  of  affairs 
in  his  township  has  left  a  high  standard  for  his  successors  to 
maintain. 

Opposed  to  him  in  his  county  were  many  powerful  inter- 
ests, and  his  leadership  was  only  held  by  untiring  energy  and 
unusual  political  sagacity. 

In  the  Senate  his  career  is  well  known  to  my  hearers.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  Corrupt  Practices  Act  and  was  the 
foremost  authority  upon  the  law  of  townships.  In  his  con- 
duct in  the  Senate  he  was  independent,  and  was  never  afraid 
to  vote  against  his  party  upon  important  measures  which  he 
believed  were  not  for  the  best  interests  of  the  State. 

Senator  Roberts  was  no  ordinary  man.  Born  to  inherited 
wealth  and  position,  he  might  have  enjoyed  a  life  of  ease  and 
pleasure,  yet  he  chose  rather  a  career  of  labor  and  responsi- 
bility. He  could  have  pleased  himself  only,  yet  he  gave  his 
time  and  strength  to  the  service  of  his  county  and  State.  In- 
deed, we  may  well  say  that  his  unsparing  energy  put  his  life 
to  the  hazard  for  his  conscience's  sake,  and  his  physical  body 
has  paid  the  forfeit.  His  high  sense  of  duty  as  a  citizen 
was — 

"The   spur  that   the   spirit   clear   doth   raise 
To  scorn  delights  and  live  laborious  days." 

The  service  he  rendered  to  the  State  was  of  the  first  order, 
because  he  possessed  the  happy  union  of  a  singularly  high 
moral  courage  with  a  superior  natural  ability,  cultivated  by 
a  thorough  education. 

As  the  proverb  says — 'There  is  a  time  to  speak  and  a  time 
to  be  silent."  He  was  an  eminently  practical  man  who  ob- 
served this  wise  maxim,  and  suffered  trifles  to  pass  that  he 
might  be  effective  in  accomplishing  larger  things  for  the  pub- 


12  MEMORIAL  SERVICES. 

lie  good.  This  public  good  was  the  lodestar  which  guided 
his  course.  I  was  in  his  confidence  and  I  never  knew  him  to 
seek  to  serve  any  interest,  except  the  interest  of  his  constitu- 
ents and  this  Commonwealth. 

Always  a  gentleman,  always  high-minded  and  courageous, 
he  upheld  the  best  traditions  of  the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania. 

His  place  will  be  filled,  but  his  memory  will  ever  hold  its 
seat  in  the  afifections  of  those  of  us  who  knew  him. 

"Cold  in  the  dust  the  perished  heart  may  lie, 
But  that  which  warmed  it  once  can  never  die." 

He  was  endowed  with  what  Cicero  commends  as  the  ''boni 
Senatoris  prudentia,"  the  wisdom  of  a  worthy  Senator.  He 
rendered  to  the  State  a  worthy  service,  and  he  will  be  long 
remembered  for  his  faithful  attention  to  his  duties,  his  accu- 
racy of  knowledge  of  parliamentary  law,  his  skill  in  debate 
and  his  high  purpose  to  serve  the  people  of  this  great  Com- 
monwealth. 

Senator  Roberts  passed  away  still  a  young  man,  but  his 
little  span  of  life  had  been  not  untouched  with  sorrow  and 
trial;  the  loss  of  two  children  and  other  loved  ones,  the  de- 
pression of  ill  health  were  his,  yet  his  sorrow  was  borne  with 
undaunted  spirit  and  in  every  gathering  none  showed  so 
cheerful  and  gay  a  spirit  as  he. 

"Aye,  he  has  gone  to  that  undiscovered  country  from 
whose  bourne  no  traveler  returns."  A  mysterious  provi- 
dence furnishes  no  answer  to  our  question  why  this  useful 
life  should  have  been  cut  down  in  its  promise  and  youth. 
But  the  proverb  and  our  experience  tell  us  that  "it  matters 
not  how  long  one  lives,  but  how  well." 

He  lived  well,  he  lived  earnestly,  he  lived  faithfully,  and  it 
is  not  for  us  mortals  to  dispute  the  Divine  wisdom  which  has 
taken  him  to  that  eternal  life  beyond  the  river,  where  are 
gathered  those  who,  thinking  not  of  themselves,  have  fought 
the  fight  and  kept  the  faith  even  unto  death. 

Mr.  FOX.  Mr.  President,  The  loss  of  a  friend  is  always 
accompanied  by  grief  and  pain,  but  when  death  robs  us  of 
one  who  has  stood  side  by  side  with  us,  one  with  whom  we 


HON.  AlyGERNON  B.  ROBERTS.  13 

have  been  closely,  warmly  and  affectionately  associated,  the 
loss  seems  to  us  to  be  almost  irreparable.  By  the  death  of 
Senator  Roberts  this  distinguished  body,  indeed,  suffered  a 
serious  loss,  for  knowing  him,  we  loved  him.  Friendship 
with  him  was  delightful,  fruitful  and  valuable.  Some  one 
has  said,  ''The  snows  of  yesterday  hath  vanished,  yes,  but  in 
form  only  they  are  still  present  in  life's  bloom  and  beauty." 
And  so  the  life  of  the  deceased  is  permanent  and  endur- 
ing, for  it  touched  into  activity  forces  of  good  in  others  that 
will  live  on  and  continue  forever.  His  life  will  live  in  the 
affections  of  those  who  knew  the  nobility  of  this  man  and  the 
kindness  of  his  heart.  It  will  be  an  example  to  others  to 
strive  to  walk  in  the  pathway  of  truth  and  light.  The  angel 
of  peace  which  men  call  death  has  commanded  him  away 
from  us.  We  lament  that  he  is  gone.  He  won  our  applause 
by  his  love  for  justice.  He  had  won  our  affections  by  his 
nature  of  nobleness.  He  was  patriotic,  for  he  often  spoke  of 
his  willingness  to  pay  the  price  of  diligent  and  laborious  at- 
tention to  the  conduct  of  public  affairs,  which  means  a  sub- 
traction of  labor  and  attention  to  one's  private  and  personal 
interest  for  the  freedom  and  dignity  of  American  citizenship. 
He  was,  indeed,  devoted  to  his  community,  to  his  State  and 
to  his  nation,  and,  sir,  all  of  them  with  industry  and  honor. 
His  virtues  and  abihties  confidently  eclipsed  any  faults  and 
failures  that  may  have  been  imputed  to  him.  But,  Mr. 
President,  and  my  fellow-Senators,  the  permanent  character- 
istic of  his  nature  was  his  love  for  his  fellow-men.  And  what 
trait  is  more  beautiful?  That  trait  is  superior  to  all  others. 
The  best  part  of  a  good  man's  life  is  the  many  little  unre- 
membered  acts  of  kindness  done  toward  his  fellow-men,  and 
when  the  recording  angel  shall  reveal  the  record  of  this  life, 
whatever  sins  of  omission  and  commission  may  there  be 
found,  it  is  to  be  beheved  that  they  will  be  condoned  by  his 
love  for  his  fellow-man.  This  thought  was  most  beautifully 
expressed  in  the  poem  entitled  ''Abou  Ben  Adhem." 

"Abou  Ben  Adhem— rnay  his  tribe  increase! 

Awoke  one  night  from   a   deep  dream   of  peace  t 

And   saw  within   the  moonlight  in   his  room 

Making  it  rich  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom, 


14  MEMORIAIv  SERVICES. 

An  angel  writing-  in  a  book  of  gold; 

Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adhem  bold, 
And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 

"What  writest  thou?"     The  vision   raised   its  head, 
And  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord. 

Answered,  'The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord.' 
'And  is  mine  one?'  said  Abou.     'Nay,  not  so,' 

Replied   the  angel.    Abou   spoke  more   low. 
But  cheerily  still,   and  said,    'I  pray  thee,   then, 

Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  fellowmen.' 
The  angel  wrote,    and  vanished.    The  next   night 

It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light. 
And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blessed — 

And  lo!  Ben  Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest!" 

Mr.  SISSON.  Mr.  President,  it  is  with  a  feeling  of  great 
sadness  that  I  join  with  you,  brother-Senators,  in  paying 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  departed  brother  whose  splend- 
id qualities  of  head  and  heart  have  been  so  deeply  impressed 
upon  the  memory  of  each  and  all  of  us  who  have  observed 
his  distinguished  career  in  the  Senate,  that  they  will  there 
remain  so  long  as  life  shall  last.  When  memories  of  him  are 
recalled  by  me,  they  are  and  always  will  be  accompanied  by 
a  feeling  that  it  was  a  privilege  and  a  continual  pleasure  to 
have  known  and  been  associated  with  him. 

It  is  an  occasion  of  sadness,  of  profound  sorrow,  augment- 
ed by  the  added  consideration  that  his  life,  an  example  of 
fidelity,  courage  and  usefulness,  was  cut  short  at  a  period 
when  his  greatest  activity  and  usefulness  as  a  citizen  were 
just  blossoming  into  most  promising  being,  and  when  upon 
his  highway  of  life  the  shadows  still  were  falling  to  the  west. 

His  active,  ready  and  well-trained  mind  made  him  a  most 
valuable  member  of  this  body,  and  it  turned  and  held  to  the 
right  as  naturally  as  the  needle  to  the  pole.  He  was  fearless 
in  advocating,  at  all  times,  that  which  he  believed  to  be  right, 
and  unhesitating  in  his  opposition  to  that  which  he  thought 
to  be  wrong. 

He  served  in  the  Senate  for  four  sessions,  including  the 
extra  session  of  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  six,  and  he 
has  so  impressed  his  personality  and  genius  upon  many  im- 
portant statutes,  of  which  he  was  either  the  author  or  advo- 


HON.  AlyGl^RNON  B.  ROBERTS.  15 

cate,  during  that  time,  that  the  effect  of  what  he  did  will  here 
remain  as  long  as  the  Commonwealth  shall  endure. 

Too  high  tribute  to  his  integrity  and  unswerving  honesty 
cannot  be  paid. 

His  path  of  duty  knew  no  devious  ways.  He  followed  it 
as  it  stretched  out  before  him,  turning  neither  to  the  right 
nor  to  the  left,  but  pressing  ever  onward  toward  the  goal  of 
honor. 

His  lovable  disposition,  splendid  social  qualities,  high  or- 
der of  intelligence,  and  purity  of  thought  made  his  presence 
on  any  and  every  occasion  profitable,  much  sought  for,  and 
greatly  enjoyed  by  his  brother-Senators,  and  by  all  who  knew 
and  came  in  contact  with  him. 

He  seems  to  have  followed  Bryant's  suggestion,  and  so 
lived  that  when  his  summons  came  "to  join  the  innumerable 
caravan,  which  moves  to  that  mysterious  realm,  where  each 
shall  take  his  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death,"  that  "sus- 
tained and  soothed  by  an  unfaltering  trust,"  he  approached 
his  grave  "like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch  about 
him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

Mr.  President,  I  second  the  resolutions. 

Mr.  GRIM.  Mr.  President,  We  stand  to-day  beside  the 
open  grave.  With  bared  head  and  wounded  spirit  we  look 
for  the  last  time  upon  all  that  is  mortal  of  the  friend  we  loved. 
He  is  not  here.  His  soul  has  escaped,  by  what  means  wc 
know  not,  through  the  starry  threshold  of  the  Court  of 
Heaven,  and  there,  far  above  the  noise  and  stir  of  this 
dim  spot  which  men  call  earth,  it  rests  in  peace.  Though 
deep  grief  at  his  parting  fills  our  hearts,  we  face  the  in- 
evitable truth  that  tears  cannot  alter  the  immutable  laws  of 
Providence.  We  restrain  our  tears  and  turn  our  thoughts 
to  his  life  and  career. 

The  graves  of  those  we  love !  What  a  place  for  medita- 
tion !  How  it  recalls  to  us  the  strong  ties  there  severed !  A 
thousand  memories  come  crowding  in  upon  us,  all  scenes 
in  which  the  departed  participated.  Thank  Heaven  for 
blessed  memories  !    Life  would  be  drear  without  them.   Thev 


16  MEMORIAIv  SERVICES. 

are  the  lighthouses  of  our  existence,  ilhiminating  the  dark 
places  of  life  and  dispelling  the  coldness  of  our  natures. 

Fellow-Senators,  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  upon 
more  intimate  terms  of  friendship  with  Senator  Roberts  than 
he  was  with  almost  any  other  member  of  the  present  Senate, 
and  the  recollection  of  our  association  will  be  kept  green  in 
my  memory  as  long  as  life  shall  last.  Time  and  again  have 
we  spent  the  hours  together  in  that  congeniality  where  hearts 
beat  as  one,  and  I  learned  to  know  him  well.  Coming  as  we 
did  from  the  same  Congressional  district  with  many  interests 
in  common,  and  serving  with  him  upon  the  joint  Fish  Com- 
mission, we  were  interested  alike  in  legislation  and  many 
conferences  were  held  between  us. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  speak  to  you  of  his  ability  and 
faithfulness  as  a  legislator,  nor  even  his  lovable  traits  of 
character  as  a  man  that  made  him  a  leader  among  men. 
All  these  are  known  to  every  Senator  who  served  with  him 
in  this  body.  But  although  his  record  is  written,  I  may  be 
pardoned  in  saying  that  it  is  my  purpose  as  well  as  my 
privilege  to  again  place  upon  the  pages  of  our  record  the 
fact  that  he  was  an  intelligent  and  conscientious  public  ser- 
vant, faithful  to  duty  as  he  saw  it,  and  ready  and  willing  at  all 
times  to  aid  in  good  legislation.  He  was  courageous  to  a 
fault.  He  alone  of  the  whole  Senate  had  the  courage  to 
speak  and  vote  against  the  soldiers'  pension  bill.  His  cour- 
age was  again  well-shown  in  passing  the  salary  bill  and  iri 
voting  against  two-cent  mileage,  and  in  a  number  of  other 
measures  he  showed  his  independence  of  the  party  to  which 
he  always  owed  allegiance. 

Although  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  the  Senate,  he 
soon  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  ones,  and  had  he 
not  been  cut  off  too  early  in  his  career,  he  would  have  risen 
to  become  its  presiding  officer. 

Some  men  become  great  because  they  are  lifted  up  by 
others,  but  true  merit  and  greatness  lies  in  what  we  ourselves 
have  done,  and  this  only  will  endure.  Our  friend  had  just 
arrived  upon  the  threshold  of  his  opportunity  and  yet  his 


HON.  AIvGERNON  B.  ROBERTS.  17 

name  has  become  indissolubly  linked  with  legislative  meas- 
ures that  shall  endure  better  than  marble  or  brass. 

The  courage  and  perseverance  displayed  in  his  duties  in 
the  Senate  was  well-shown  in  his  determined  fight  against  a 
disease  that  must  necessarily  have  sapped  his  vitality  and  in- 
terfered with  his  best  endeavors.  With  the  knowledge  of  this 
gallant  fight  for  life  must  go  our  added  sympathy  for  his 
untimely  death.  But  the  result  was  inevitable.  In  his  best 
estate  man  is  a  helpless  creature,  for  well  has  the  poet  ex- 
pressed it — 

•"Tis  the  wink  of  an  eye;   'tis  the  draught  of  a  breath, 
From  the  blossom  of  health  to  the  paleness  of  death, 
From  the  gilded  salon  to  the   bier  and  the  shroud, 
Oh,    why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  ffroud?" 

We  are  all  alike  in  death.  No  matter  what  position  in  life 
we  may  have  occupied ;  no  matter  to  what  age  we  may  have 
attained;  no  matter  at  what  altar  we  may  have  bowed  in 
in  reverence,  death  makes  all  things  even,  and  it  is  well  that 
it  is  so. 

Some  one  has  said  that  the  world  is  not  a  place  to  live 
in,  but  to  die  in.  That  there  is  not  a  spot  on  the  broad 
earth  on  which  man  can  plant  his  foot  and  affirm  with  con- 
fidence ''No  mortal  sleeps  beneath."  I  cannot  agree  with 
this  statement.  I  believe  that  this  life  was  created  to  live 
in,  to  be  enjoyed,  and  as  a  preparation  for  the  world  to 
come.  I  beheve  that  our  brother  had  the  right  concep- 
tion of  life,  and  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunity.  It  is 
for  us  to  emulate  his  virtues.  Let  us,  then,  so  live  that  when 
the  summons  comes  to  us  to  join  that  mysterious  caravan 
that  moves  to  the  pale  realms  of  shade  where  each  shall  take 
his  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death. 

"Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry  slave  at  night  scourged  to 
his  dungeon,  but  sustained  and  soothed  by  an  unfaltering 
trust,  approach  thy  grave,  Hke  one  who  wraps  the  drapery 
of  his  couch  about  him,  and  Hes  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

Let  us  draw  from  the  examples  of  the  dead,  lessons  of 
eternal  fidelity  to  the  living,  and  in  this  light,  well  can  we 


18  MEMORIAIv  SERVICES. 


say  that  our  brother  has  not  Hved  and  died  in  vain,  for 
from  his  Hfe  and  career,  can  be  drawn  many  laudable  things 
which  we  would  do  well  to  emulate.  As  a  rule,  most  men 
born  with  the  golden  spoon  contribute  little  to  the  sum 
total  of  human  happiness.  Not  so  with  our  brother,  and 
thousands  there  are  to-day  who  can  testify  to  his  demo- 
cratic simplicity  and  his  great  interest  in  and  love  for  his 
fellow-man.  The  world  was  better  for  his  having  lived  and 
many  there  are  who  will  miss  him  for  many  years  to  come. 

"Sunset  and  evening  star, 

And  one  clear  call  for  me! 

And  may  there  be  no  moaning  of  the  'bar 

When  I  put  out  to  sea. 

But  such*"  a  tide  as  moving  seems  asleep, 

Too  full  for  sound  and  foam. 

When  that  which  drew  from  out  the  boundless  deep 

Turns  again  home. 

Twilight  and  evening  bell, 

And  after  that  the  dark! 

And  may  there  be  no  sadness  of  farewell 

When   I  embark. 

For  tho'  from  out  our  bourne  of  time  and  place 

The  flood  may  bear  me  far, 

I  hope  to  see  my  pilot  face  to  face. 

When   I  have   crossed   the   bar." 

Mr.  President,  I  second  the  resolutions. 

The  PRESIDENT  (Mr.  Sproul).  I  cannot  let  this  occa- 
sion go  by,  considering  the  intimacy  of  my  own  association 
with  Senator  Roberts,  without  saying  something  to  his  mem- 
ory, and  I  know  nothing  more  fitting  than  to  repeat,  or  at 
least  read,  his  own  favorite  poem,  and  I  recall  one  night 
when  a  little  coterie,  which  used  to  meet  after  the  sessions 
of  the  Senate  in  a  room  at  the  Harrisburg  Club,  where  so 
many  things  had  been  discussed,  had  all  dwindled  away  ex- 
cept Senator  Roberts  and  myself.  We  talked  about  various 
matters,  and  he  finally  drew  from  his  pocketbook  the  poem, 
to  which  Senator  Grim  alluded,  the  poem  written  by  that 
other  Scotchman,  William  Knox,  and  which  was  the  favorite 
of  Lincoln,  as  well  as  Senator  Roberts.  He  drew  this  from 
his  purse  and  read  it  to  me,  and  if  I  may  transgress  I  would 


HON.  AlyGBRNON  B.  ROBEJRTS.  19 

like  to  read  Senator  Roberts'  favorite  poem  on  this  occasion. 
And,  if  I  may  say,  too,  that  his  father,  being  stricken  in  youth 
and  a  man  who  had  all  that  wealth  and  all  that  education 
and  culture  and  all  that  social  position  and  ability  could  give 
him,  taken  away  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  in  the  full  tide  of  his 
usefulness,  the  words  of  this  poem  are  brought  back  to  me 
more  forcibly,  perhaps,  than  ever  before  in  my  life.  Not 
long  ago,  seeing  this  I  cut  it  out  and  put  it  in  my  own 
pocket  to  read  and  think  over.  I  am  glad  I  have  it  on  this 
occasion : 

MORTALITY. 

"Oh!  why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  proud? 
Like  a  swift-fleeting  meteor,  a  fast-flying  cloud, 
A  flash  of  the  lightning,  a  break  of  the  wave, 
Man  passeth  from  life  to  his  rest  in  the  grave. 

The  leaves  of  the  oak  and  the  willow  shall  fade, 
Be  scattered  around,  and  together  be  laid; 
And  the  young  and  the  old,  and  the  low  and  the  high 
Shall  molder  to  dust  and  together  shall  lie. 

The  infant  a  mother  attended  and  loved; 
The  mother  that  infant's  affection  who  proved; 
The  husband  that  mother  and  infant  who  blessed,— 
Each,  all,  are  away  to  their  dwellings  of  rest. 

The  maid  on  whose  cheek,  on  whose  brow,  in  whose  eye, 
Shone  beauty  and  pleasure, — her  triumphs  are  by; 
And  the  memory  of  those  who  loved  her  and  praised 
Are  alike  from  the  minds  of  the  living  erased. 

The  hand  of  the  king  that  the  sceptre  hath  borne; 
The  brow  of  the  priest  that  the  mitre  hath  worn; 
The  eye  of  the  sage,  and  the  heart  of  the  brave, 
Are  hidden  and  lost  in  the  depth  of  the  grave. 

The  peasant  whose  lot  was  to  sow  and  to  reap; 
The  herdsman  who  climbed  with  his  goats  up  the  steep; 
The  beggar  who  wandered  in  search  of  his  bread. 
Have  faded  away  like  the  grass  that  we  tread. 

The  saint  who  enjoyed  the  communion  of  heaven; 
The  sinner  who  dared  to  remain  unforgiven; 
The  wise  and  the  foolish,  the  guilty  and  just. 
Have  quietly  mingled  their  bones  in  the  dust. 

So  the  multitude  goes,  like  the  flowers  or  the  weed 
That  withers  away  to  let  others  succeed; 
So  the  multitude  comes,  even  those  we  behold, 
To  repeat  every  tale  that  has  often  been  l^old. 


20  MEJMORIAL,  SERVICES. 


For  we  are  the  same  our  fathers  have  been; 
We  see  the  same  sights  our  fathers  have  seen; 
We  drink  the  same  stream,  and  view  the  same  sun, 
And  run  the  same  course  our  fathers  have  run. 

The  thoughts  we  are  thinking  our  fathers  would  think; 
From  the  death  we  are  shrinking  our  fathers  would  shrink; 
To  the  life  we  are  clinging  they  also  would  cling; 
But  it  speeds  for  us  all,  like  a  bird  on  the  wing. 

They  loved,  but  the  story  we  cannot  unfold; 
They  scorned,  but  the  heart  of  the  haughty  is  cold; 
They  grieved,  but  no  wail  from  their  slumbers  will  come; 
They  joyed,  but  the  tongue  of  their  gladness  is  dumb. 

They  died,  aye!  they  died;  and  we  things  that  are  now, 

Who  walk  on  the  turf  that  lies  over  their  brow, 

Who  make  in  their  dwelling  a  transient  abode, 

Meet  the  things  that  they  met  on  their  pilgrimage  road. 

Yea!  hope  and  despondency,  pleasure  and  pain, 
We  mingle  together  in  sunshine  and  rain; 
And  the  smiles  and  the  tears,  the  song  and  the  dirge. 
Still  follow  each  other,  like  surge  upon  surge. 

•Tis  the  wink  of  an  eye,  'tis  the  draught  of  a  breath, 
From  the  blossom  of  health  to  the  paleness  of  death. 
From  the  gilded  saloon  to  the  bier  and  the  shroud, — 
Oh!  why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  proud?" 

The  question  being, 

Will  the  Senate  agree  to  the  resolutions? 
The  PRESIDENT.     The  Clerk  will  proceed  to  call  the 
roll. 

The  roll  was  called  by  the  Clerk  as  follows: 

YEAS. 

Messrs.  Baldwin,  Campbell,  Catlin,  Crawford,  Crow,  De- 
walt,  Dimeling,  Durham,  Fox,  Gerberich,  Grim,  Harper, 
Hays,  Herbst,  Homsher,  James,  Jamison,  Keyser,  Kline, 
Klinedinst,  Kurtz,  Langfitt,  Manbeck,  Martin,  McConnell, 
Mcllhenny,  McNichol,  Miller  (Northampton),  Miller 
(Bedford),  Murphy,  Riley,  Rodgers,  Rowland,  Shields, 
Sisson,  Snyder,  Sproul,  Templeton,  Thomson,  Tustin,  Vare. 
Walton,  Weingartner,  Wertz,  Wilbert  and  Wolf. 


HON.  AI^GE:RN0N  B.  ROBERTS.  21 

ABSENT  OR  NOT  VOTING. 

Messrs.  Blewitt,  Cochran,  Hall   and  Hulings. 

The  PRESIDENT.  The  resolutions  are  unanimously 
adopted  and  will  be  recorded  on  the  Journal  of  the  Senate. 

ADJOURNMENT. 

Mr.  TUSTIN.  Mr.  President,  I  move  that  the  Senate 
do  now  adjourn. 

Mr.  HERBST.     Mr.  President,  I  second  the  motion. 

The  question  being. 

Will  the  Senate  agree  to  the  motion  ? 

It  was  agreed  to. 
Whereupon, 

At  four-forty  o'clock  post  meridian,  the  Senate  adjourned 
to  meet  on  Wednesday,  March  seventeen,  one  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  nine,  at  ten  o'clock  ante  meridian. 


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